California Highway 1 National Historic Landmark Road Trip

Marin Headlands, outside San Fransisco on Highway 1

NPS Photo

With just about 150 National Historic Landmarks, California has no shortage of sites for history buffs to visit. Explore this stretch of Highway 1 from Carmel to Jenner and experience over 250 years of history. Northern California was a place where people from around the world converged. Spanish, and later Mexican governments vied for power with indigenous communities, Americans, and Russians. From missions, to presidios, to remote trading outposts, and even tourist venues, these sites will show you a variety of forces that shaped California.

• Click for Google Maps Directions
• Total National Historic Landmarks: 10
• Distance: 255 miles
• Time: 7 driving hours. Recommended for 3-4 days

Carmel Mission

Courtesy Burkhard Mücke, Wikimedia Commons

Carmel and Monterey

The authentically restored Carmel Mission was the headquarters of Saint Junípero Serra as he expanded the California mission system from 1770-1784. During Father Serra's time, the mission buildings were of wood, mud and adobe. In 1793, the stone church was constructed. Visitors to the mission can see this restored church, as well as California’s First Library (founded in 1770), which contains Father Serra’s 400-year-old Bible. Learn more>

Address: 3080 Rio Rd., Carmel
Hours of operation: Wednesday-Sunday, limited hours.
Website: Misson website
Fee: Yes

Old Town Historic District includes the Monterey State Historic Park and brings to life the Spanish Colonial, Mexican Colonial, and early American periods of California through its historic buildings. There are various self-guided and guided walking tours throughout the historic district, allowing visitors to experience Monterey as the bustling once-capital of California. Within its boundaries are two National Historic Landmarks, the Custom House and Larkin House.

Website: Monterey State Historic Park
Monterey State Historic Park Brochure (PDF)

Start your day at the Custom House, where you can learn about tours and purchase tickets. Street parking and paid parking lots are available. The Custom House was constructed in 1827 to collect custom duties on foreign goods coming in and out of the Monterey Bay. At the time, California was part of the newly independent Mexico and was the main port of entry for a wide variety of goods from American, English, and South American markets. This flow of revenue from the Custom House turned Monterey into a major cosmopolitan community in the 1800s.

Address: 1 Custom House Plaza, Monterey
Hours of operation: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 am - 4 pm
Fee: Not for this building

The Larkin House was the home of American businessman and diplomat, Thomas Oliver Larkin in the 1830s. In the 1840s, it also served as the American Consulate. Today, the house is furnished with Larkin family furniture.

Address: 464 Calle Principal, Monterey
Hours of operation: Friday + Saturday. Visit the Custom House for tour times and tickets.
Fee: Yes

On your way out of Monterey, visit the Royal Presidio Chapel, also known as the San Carlos Cathedral. The current building was completed in 1795 and is the only remaining presidio chapel in its original California location. The chapel is still an active church. It is open to the public as part of the Monterey Historic State Park and has interpretive signs to guide visitors through its 250-year history. Learn more>

Address: 500 Church St., Monterey
Website: San Carlos Cathedral

Carved wooden horse, Looff Carousel, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

NPS Photo/Anna Christie

Santa Cruz

Make your way off Highway 1 to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to check out the Looff Carousel and Giant Dipper Roller Coaster National Historic Landmark. Thriling and nostalgic, these two rides are throwbacks to the days of seaside amusement parks. The Looff Carousel was completed in 1911 and includes eleven of the original hand-carved horses as well as the 342-pipe Ruth band organ. The Giant Dipper is a classic wooden scaffold roller coaster from 1924 and is one of two remaining on the West Coast.

Address: 400 Beach St, Santa Cruz
Hours of operation: Varies seasonally
Website: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Fee: Yes, to ride the rides. The Boardwalk is free to enter.

Old Coast Guard Station and Golden Gate Bridge in Presidio, Golden Gate National Recreation Area

NPS Photo

San Francisco

Highway 1 drives directly through the Presidio of San Francisco on its way to the Golden Gate Bridge, making this an easy one to check off the list. But don’t let that stop you from getting out of the car to explore the rich history of this site. The Presidio dates to the Spanish empire in 1776 and to the Ohlone people before that. It is one of the finest collections of military architecture in the country, reflecting over 200 years of history under three different nations. Today, there are 473 historic buildings that contribute to its status as a National Historic Landmark District. The Presidio is part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Learn more>

To visit the oldest part of the Presidio, check out the Main Post. Other great locations include the National Cemetery, the Palace of Fine Arts, or the Tunnel Tops Field Station and playground for kids!

Address: Building 210, Lincoln Blvd., San Francisco. The visitor center is at the bottom of the Main Post parade ground near the corner of Montgomery Street.
Hours of operation: The Presidio grounds are open 24 hours a day. Check the website for specific locations.
Website: Presidio of San Francisco
Fee: Free, though you’ll have to pay a fee for parking

Limantour Beach Sunset, Drakes Bay Historic and Archeological District NHL, Point Reyes National Seashore

NPS Photo/Jessica Weinberg McClosky

North of San Francisco

Two National Historic Landmarks and a National Park make this stop worth the detour. Spend the day exploring Point Reyes National Seashore and visit Drakes Bay Historic and Archeological District and the Point Reyes Lifeboat Station NHLs. Start your adventure at the Bear Valley Visitor Center, just off Highway 1 outside of Olema.

Address: 1 Bear Valley Road, Point Reyes Station
Hours of operation: Bear Valley visitor center is open 9:30 am- 5 pm everday. The park is open every day from 6 am to midnight. Check the website for specific locations.
Website: Point Reyes National Seashore
Fee: No

After, navigate to the limestone cliffs of Limantour Beach, which overlooks Drakes Bay. It was named for the English explorer Sir Francis Drake, who likely landed here in 1579 during his circumnavigation of the globe. Known as tamál-húye by the Coast Miwok, the bay is one of the earliest sites of European contact and interaction with the indigenous people of California. Designated as Drakes Bay Historic and Archeological District, this landing strengthened England as a maritime power and set the stage for the empire to colonize North America, a moment of great consequence for the Native Americans who have called this land home for thousands of years. The National Seashore is the ancestral homeland of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, which represents the Miwok and Pomo peoples of Point Reyes, Sonoma and Marin Counties today.

Limantour Beach is a popular beach where you can sunbathe, play in the calmer bay waters, and birdwatch in the estuary. There is a parking lot, picnic tables and restroom.

Address: Limantour Beach. Coordinates: 38.02889, -122.8821.
Hours of operation: The park is open everyday from 6 am to midnight
Website: Point Reyes Limantour Beach
Fee: No

Next stop in the park is the Point Reyes Lifeboat Station NHL, a historic coastal rescue station located on the Drake’s Bay side of the Point Reyes peninsula. It is one of the best-preserved rescue stations on the Pacific coast and still includes the marine railway used by the Coast Guard to launch motorized lifeboats. Point Reyes juts several miles out into the Pacific Ocean, where its rocky cliffs are frequently hidden by dense fog, causing many shipwrecks. Learn More>

The Lifeboat Station can be viewed from the 1.8 mile Chimney Rock Trail, which starts at the Chimney Rock Parking Lot on the eastern end of Point Reyes. The main building is sometimes open to the public on weekends and holidays from January to mid-March. For more information, please call the National Seashore at 415-464-5100.

Address: Chimney Rock Trailhead, Point Reyes Headlands
Hours of operation: The park is open everyday from 6 am to midnight
Website: Chimney Rock Trail
Fee: No

Russian Cemetery at Fort Ross State Park

Courtesy of California State Parks, 2019

The last stop on this northern California road trip is Fort Ross State Park, a surprising Russian colonial site in California. Fort Ross was the southernmost settlement in the Russian colonization of the North American continent and served as an agricultural base to supply Russia’s colonies in Alaska. It became the largest Russian fur trading center south of Alaska and was active from 1812-1841. During this period, native Siberians, Alaskans, Hawaiians, Californians, and individuals of mixed European and Native American ancestry farmed and worked at the fort. Most of the fort was dismantled and sent to Sutter’s Fort in Sacramento. However, the Commander’s House NHL (aka the Rotchev House) was left intact and is a rare example of Russian log architecture in the United States. Learn More (PDF)>

Visitors can tour the historic buildings, visit the museum, and enjoy the natural beauty of the park. During your visit you can picnic, hike one of the trails, explore tidepools and even go fishing.

Address: 19005 Highway 1, Jenner
Hours of operation: Grounds open sunrise to sunset, buildings open 10 am-4:30 pm
Website: Fort Ross State Park
Fee: Yes, entrance fee per vehicle

Nearby National Historic Landmarks

These sites are near Highway 1 and open to the public, but would require a detour or significant amount of time to explore. Be sure to check their websites for days, times and any required reservations.

• Marin Civic Center, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
• Alcatraz, part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
• Angel Island Immigration Station, a California State Park.
• San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park includes six NHLs! Five ships and the Aquatic Park National Historic District.
• Asilomar Conference Grounds, now a California State Park that includes Asilomar Beach in Pacific Grove.
• And many more in San Francisco that we’ll have to cover in another article!

Highway 1 NHL Roadtrip stops include: Carmel Mission Basilica, Old Monterey, Looff Carousel in Santa Cruz, San Francisco Presidio, Point Reyes Lifeboat Station and Fort Ross State Historic Park. Click for driving instructions.

Road Trip Map